This invention relates to interchangeable input/output blocks for computing devices.
A computing device is typically designed with a limited number of I/O (input/output) ports. The increasing availability of the types of input and/or output devices that can be interfaced with a computer requires more space on a computer to provide a full-range of input/output connectors for every possible I/O device, and combination of I/O devices. Such input and/or output devices include printers, scanners, external data storage drives, a mouse or other pointing devices, audio and/or video players, joysticks, keyboards, and the like. Furthermore, limited system resources have to be allocated and shared to support a computer configured to accommodate the increasing number of I/O devices.
Limited space for I/O device connectors is particularly a problem with portable computing devices such as a laptop computer or a PDA (personal digital assistant) where the physical size of the computing device limits the available space to integrate input/output connectors for the many possible I/O devices. Additionally, providing input/output connectors for every possible I/O device, and the associated computer system resources, is a substantial expense and impractical.
The following description discusses systems and methods to provide input/output connectors and system resources for the ever increasing number of I/O devices when constrained to a limited space, such as with a portable computing device.
An input/output module for a computing device interfaces external devices with components in the computing device. The input/output module has one, or multiple, input/output connectors to connect the external devices to the computing device.
The input/output module is removable from the computer and interchangeable with a different input/output module having a different input/output connector than the first input/output module. The computing device has the components to interface with external devices connected to either of the input/output modules when either input/output module is installed in the computing device.
The input/output module passes unmodified signals between the external devices and the computer components. Alternatively, an input/output module can have a component to process a signal in which case the input/output module passes unmodified signals, and/or processes signals and passes modified signals, between the external devices and the computer components.
An input/output module has an input/output connector configuration identifier to inform a computing device of the input/output connector configuration of the input/output module. The configuration identifier can be stored on a memory storage device in the input/output module, or the configuration identifier can be decoded from the pin configuration in the input/output module.